News & Trends
Everything theChurch.digital has on news & trends — 69 articles, episodes, and guides on making disciples in digital spaces.
25 theChurch.digital Promises for 2025
Was 2024 the year of theChurch.digital? New website. A fresh community launch. A laser focus on digital missionaries.…
Digital Missionaries and the Future of theChurch.digital
This past week, we unveiled the ninth version of theChurch.digital. Since I acquired the domain name in February 2018,…
5 Online Ministry Insights from August 2024
Summer is over and school has started for almost every school-aged child. As families have been busy getting ready for…
5 Online Ministry Insights from July 2024
The summer is almost over and school is getting ready to get started. That means last minute travel plans, back to…
Should Your Church Be Using Threads - July 2024 Update
In July 2023 Meta launched Threads. Threads is the latest Twitter/X "rival" that is primarily text-based and provides a…
5 Online Ministry Insights from June 2024
The summer heat is an inferno right now. While the temperatures are hot, there is a lot happening in the digital and…
5 Online Ministry Insights from May 2024
Longer daylight, allergies and warmer weather. May really starts to amp up the summer vibes. As summer approaches,…
5 Online Ministry Insights from April 2024
Spring is a great time...for allergies! While many people struggle with allergies this month, there has been a lot…
5 Online Ministry Insights from March 2024
As the year flips the page and turns to March, warmer weather and the Easter season take priority. And we, at the…
One Year Since AltspaceVR
On March 10, 2023 Microsoft shutdown their virtual reality platform known as “AltspaceVR.” For most people, this was…
Church Communication Trends for 2024
jeff • March 14, 2024 embed Communications changes regularly, especially in this digital world we live in. That is why…
5 Online Ministry Insights from February 2024
Love is in the air. While the month of February is a bit colder and chilly, it is also hot as it's the month of love…
5 Online Ministry Insights from January 2024
A new year brings tons of new opportunities. It also provides some great new resources and tools to help you minister…
3 Ministry Takeaways from CES 2024
Every January the worlds biggest brands come together to reveal breakthroughs in technology in what is known as CES…
5 Online Ministry Insights from December 2023
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. The lights, parties, movies, music and celebration of Jesus' birth makes it a…
5 Online Ministry Insights from November 2023
November is often a month associated with being thankful. We give thank for the different blessings in our lives as we…
5 Online Ministry Insights from October 2023
The leaves are changing color, the temperatures are dropping and s'mores are being toasted over the fire pit. With all…
How to Make Church Operations More Effective with Online Tools
EDITOR'S NOTE: ChatGPT is very popular right now as people are experimenting with it in all walks of life. Because of…
5 Online Ministry Insights from September 2023
September brought the end of summer and the start of fall. As families are transitioning from the heat of summer to the…
5 Online Ministry Insights from August 2023
Just as quickly as it started, summer is now over. If children in your area are not already in school, they will be…
5 Online Ministry Insights from July 2023
July is right in the middle of summer. And while there may be a bit of a dip in ministry activities, there is still a…
6 Online Ministry Insights from June 2023
It's time for vacations, games of Marko Polo at the local pool and kids attending camps or Vacation Bible School.…
What's Currently Trending in Online Ministry (June 2023)
jeff • June 22, 2023 embed Online Ministry is always changing. What was effective in reaching people online yesterday,…
5 Online Ministry Insights from May 2023
Pools are opening, birds are chirping, schools are getting out and it's getting warmer. We are in May and while summer…
What Social Media Platforms Should Churches Be On: Let's Ask AI
EDITOR'S NOTE: ChatGPT is very popular right now as people are experimenting with it in all walks of life. Musicians…
5 Online Ministry Insights from April 2023
Easter is over and we start to get into the heart of Spring. So what is the latest online ministry insights and lessons…
4 YouTube Stats that Matter for Churches
Is your Church or ministry on YouTube yet? If not, now is the perfect place for your Church to start investing time and…
5 Online Ministry Insights from March 2023
The weather is getting warmer, it is getting lighter later in the day and allergies are back! Yes, Spring is here! With…
5 Online Ministry Insights from February 2023
As technology changes and evolves at a very rapid pace, online ministry changes as well. That is why The Church Digital…
Here are the Digital & Metaverse Tracks for Exponential Orlando 2023
Coming to the Exponential Orlando Conference in March? We've got some incredible Digital and Metaverse Courses lined up…
3 Ministry Takeaways from CES 2023
CES is one of the most influential technology events in the world. Every January the worlds biggest brands come…
5 Online Ministry Insights from January 2023
Technology is always changing and evolving. And, it is changing at a very rapid pace. Online ministry is based in…
AltspaceVR is Closing: Why Should the Church Care?
For the most part, it came unexpectedly on Friday. I had heard rumors for a month or so that it was coming, but it was…
EP247 - 5 Things You Need to Know Heading Into 2023
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode , subscribe for free using your favorite…
EP242: Jeff’s Book on Churches in Virtual Reality Launches (and We Talk VRchat)
So, listen to the podcast, and grab a copy of Jeff’s book over at http://thechurch.digital/vrbook SUBSCRIBE TO THE…
The Latest Developments in the Metaverse
On October 28, 2021 the company formerly known as Facebook changed it's name to Meta. This move was a bold statement…
How Meta's Discord-Clone Impacts Your Church
Meta just recently announced that Messenger and Facebook Groups were going to highlight "community chats". This would…
How Student Ministry has Changed Over the Past 2 Years
jeff • May 26, 2022 embed Student Ministry is always changing. But, over the past few years, it has changed so much…
3 Social Media Trends to be Looking at
Social media is always changing. What is hot one day, is ice cold the next. My Space, Vine and Clubhouse all used to…
What the Recent Streaming Struggles Have Taught Churches
Streaming platforms saw a significant rise during COVID. In fact, there were a few new ones that developed and grew…
CES Products to be Watching this Year
The Consumer Electronic Show is an annual show that happens every January. It is the premier tech show each year and is…
5 Digital Trends That Will Disrupt Church In 2022
I love starting the new year, where I believe disruption is taking us. The evolution of Web 3.0, Self-Aware A.I.…
New Tech Trends to Monitor in Your Online Ministry
jeff • January 13, 2022 embed A new year is upon us and with the new year it is great to evaluate where we are in…
6 to Seek Out in 2022
jeff • January 6, 2022 embed Since 2016 I have been highlighting 6 people you, as ministers, should follow on Social…
Episode 192: Research Findings on Digital Church
What challenges are you facing in Digital ministry? You’re definitely facing challenges. We all are! What’s fascinating…
4 Stats about how Social Media is Social Ministry
Churches have been using social media for a number of years now. Some Churches really embrace social media as an…
What's THECHURCH.DIGITAL's Big Announcement?
We've been hyping up the "Big Announcement" for a while now, and we just broadcast it live online. Miss the…
BETA25: Nils Smith, Crypto & The Church
Is it gambling or is it the future? Get a better understanding of what Cryptocurrency is, and how your church can…
European Digital Missionary Summit 2025
European Digital Missionary Summit 2025
Gaming Ministry is Bigger Than Anyone Realizes
EP357: Jeff Talks Digital Missionary Confererence
EP339 - TCD's Summer Town Hall Meeting
Reaching Web3's Degenerate Culture With Regenerate Faith
Reaching the Dechurched Through Listening-First Digital Ministry
Know the World So God Can Be Known: Global Trends for Digital Missionaries